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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

A. RICHTER.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 605,134. Patented June 7,1898.

' "if V a h (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

IGHTBRJ MECHANIC USIGAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 60,134. Patented June 7, 1898.

, (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. I A. RICHTER.

MECHANICAL MUSIGAL INSTRUMENT. 7 No. 605,134. Patented June 7, 1898.

YHE wonms PETERS co. wowu'mo, WASHINGTON, 'u. c.

UNITED @rn'rns PATENT @rrron.

ADOLF nrcnrnn, or RUD'OLSTADT, GERMANY.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL. ENSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,134, dated June 7,1898.

Application filed September 21, 1896. Serial No. 606,565. (No model.)

To all whoint itmay concern.-

Be it known that I, ADOLF RICHTER, a subject of the King of Bavaria, residing at Rudolstadt, in the Principality of Schwarzburg- Rudolstadt, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Connected with Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in or connected with mechanical musical instru: ments. The said improvements have reference to various parts and devices of a mechanical musical instrument; and the object of the invention is that by adopting the said improvements mechanical musical instruments of a superior quality may be obtained.

My invention consists in mechanism for vibratin g steel reeds or tongues, the pivoted lever of which instead of having a fixed point is provided with one or two small star-wheels, each capable of revolving about its own axis. By this arrangement the vibration of the reeds is efiected with certainty and also a smooth entrance or gliding of the engaging nose in the perforations of the music-sheet is obtained, while two reed-combs can be vibrated simultaneously, which has not been possible heretofore when using perforated sheets.

My invention also consists in the arrangement of two or more guide-pins for the center of the music-sheets, said guide-pins being mounted movably in the instrument and capable of being moved by hand in theirbearings to and from operative position to suit the diameter of the music-sheet, so that musicsheets of different sizes can be employed in one and the same instrument.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the lever which carries the star-wheels. Figs. 2 and 3show the lever with the starwheel in combination with two several kinds of pawls for stopping the star-wheels. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show the several positions of the lever during the movement of the musicsheet. The stop for the star-wheelis formed of a fixed arm f. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 represent several positions. of the lever shown in Fig. 2, and Figs. 10, 11, and 12 represent several positionsiof the lever shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 13 and 1% show the lever in combination with two star-wheels. Fig. 15 is an elevation of a jointed guide-pin. Fig. 16 is an elevation of a guide-pin having an inclined lower end, Fig. 17 being an elevation, and Fig. 18 a plan view, of a hand-lever withinclined head to coact with the guide-pin; and Fig. 10 shows a lever mechanism for adjusting the guidepins.

WVith reference to Figs. 1 to 14, Fig. l-shows an operating-lever with the engaging nose to, the arm I), and the arm 0, by which latter arm the small star-wheel (1, Figs. 2 and 3, is carried.

Fig. 2 illustrates the lever with a pawl 7;, the latter of which is pressed by means of the spring Z into the teeth of the small starwheel cl.

Fig. 8 shows the lever carrying a pawl m, which is rocked by the music-sheet (that acts upon the arm a) and which is thus brought into engagement with the teeth of the small star-wheel cl.

Figs. 4, '7, and 10 show applications of the levers and star-wheels, the lever being in its position of rest and provided with the small star-wheel d. In these figures the lever has its engaging nose (and in Fig. 10 also with the arm n of the pawl m)'in the perforation of the music-sheet h, and is kept in that position by the pressure of the spring 6 until it is moved by the onwardly-moving musicsheet into the position shown by Figs. 5, 8, or 11. In this latter position the teeth of the starrwheel, as shown at Fig. 5, bear against the fixed stop f, which may consist of a wire, a strip of sheet metal, or the like, or, as shown inFigs. 8 and 11., the teeth of the small wheel bear against thepawl 7t or m, and thereby obtain the requisite support for vibrating the reed. When the reed is vibrated, the starwheel is moved out of the path thereof by the backward movement of the lever to enable the reed to vibrate without hindrance, Figs. 6, 9, and 12. In the upward movement of the lever the star-wheel slides with a revolving motion past the reed, which is'damped by the damping sprin g i or 0, the said wheel touching the said reed gently with one tooth.

Instead of the spring 11, which is fixed to the lever, therem'ay be employed asprin'g disconnected from thelever to act as afdamper,

which sprin bears elastically against the front edge of the reed. in this case the damping-spring 0, Figs. 7 to 0, is formed at its upper end with a bent-out portion, which takes around the head 1) of the pivot of: the starwheel or around another projection on the plucking-lever in such a manner that the damping-spring is drawn away from the reed during the downward movement of the lever and isheld back, Fig. 9, until the lever moves upward again. The damping-spring 0 may in some cases be employed without an outward bend; but in such a case the arm (1 of the lever is prolonged and bent over at q, Fi 3, 10, 11, and 12, in the manner indicated by the sectional plan my, Fig. 3. The slot (shown in the said plan at a: y) takes over the damping-spring o and draws it back from the reed just beforethe latter is vibrated, as shown by Fig. 12.

"When the reeds or two reed-combs are to be vibrated by one lever at one and the same time, the said lever is provided with two starwheels, which are arranged either in the po sition shown by Fig. 1-3 or in that shown by Fig. 1-21, according as the reeds are arranged.

The object of the arrangement shown in Figs. 15 to 19 is to enable the sheets to be suited to the length of the music-piece, so that, for instance, for musical compositions with a smaller number of boats smaller and therefore cheaper music-sheets can be employed.

According to my invention and with reference to Figs. 15 to 19 of the drawings I provide the instruments with two or more guidepins, each of which is adapted to constitute a pivot for the note-disk, and means are provided to cooperate with said pins to move one of them to the operative position and to maintain the others out of the operative position. The smaller the music-sheet is to be the nearer the guidepii1 should be to the star-wheels b and the reeds 0; but if the sheet is to comprise a greater number of beats a guide-pin fart-her away from the reeds is thrown into operative position, according to the length of the music-piece. The shifting of the guidepin may be effected by fastening a numberof: folding guide-pins, as shown in Fig. 15, on the bed-plate, the arrangement bein such that the pin suitable for the particular music-sheet is then simply turned up. In some cases and with reference to Figs. 16,17, and 18 the guidepin may be controlled by a lever, which latter is formed at one end with a cam-face or inclined surface such as shown in end view at c, Fig. 1G, for the purpose of facilitating the raisi ng of the guide-pin ,which is likewise pre terably provided with a cam-face h at its lower end. As the lever is moved into either of the positions 1, 2, or 3 of Fig. 18 the guide-pin which passes through one of the holes is raised against the tension of its spring to a position where it can receive the music sheet thereon. Finally the guide-pins may also be shifted by means of a lever m, Fig. 19, the

arrangement being such that one of the two g1'1idepinsdf is always ready to receive the music-sheet, while the other guide-pin is do pressed to such an extent as to enable the musieshcet to pass freely over it.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I claim as my improvements in or connected with mechanical inn-- sieal instruments is as follows:

1. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a steel comb, of a vibratory lover, a star-wheel carried thereby and adapted to rotate thereon and an abutment adapted to engage a teeth of said star-wheel and hold the same against movement; to enable the vibratory lever to move the star-wheel into contact with a tongue of the comb to vibrate the same.

2. In amec-hai'iieal musical instrument, the combination with a steel comb, of a vibratory lover, a star-wheel carried thereby and :ulamr ed to rotate thereon and a pawl :ulapted to engage a tooth of the star-wheel and hold the same against movement to enable the-vibrzb tory lever to move the staravheel into con-- tact with. a tongue of the comb to vibrate the same.

Inamechanieal musical instrument, the combination of a steel comb, a vibratory lover, a star-wheel carried thereby and. ailapted to rotate thereon and. a pawl pivoted. to said lever and controlled by the note-sheet, said pawl being adapted to engage a teeth of the said star-wheel and hold the same against movement to enable the 'viln'atory lever to move the star wheel into contact with a tongue of the comb to vibrate the same.

4t. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a plurality of steel ctmrlm, of a vibratory lever, a plurality of star-wheels carried thereby and adapted to rotate thereon, an abutment adapted to engage a tooth of each of said star-wheels and hold the same against movement to enable the vibratory lever to move the star-wheels into contact with a plurality of tongues of the combs to vibrate the same.

5. 'fna mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a steel comb, of a vitamin-y lever, a star-wheel carried thereby and adapt ed to rotate thereon, au abutment adapted to engage a tooth of said. star-wheelv and hold the same against movement to enable the vibratory lever to move the star-wheel in to con-- tact with a tongue of the comb and vibrato the same and a damper ct'nitrolled. by the movement of said lever.

ti. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a plurality of guide-pins each of which is adapted to constitute a pivot for a note sheet or disk and means for throwing one of said pins into operative position. and for mamtaining the other pin or pins out of operative position,substan tially as d escril iod.

TOO

7. Inztmechanical musical instrument, the In testimony whereof I have signed my combination of a plurality of movable guidename to this specification in the presence of IO pins each of which is adapted to constitute two subscribing witnesses.

a pivot for a note sheet or disk and mechan- 5 ical means for moving said guide -pins to ADOLF RICHTER throw one of said pins into operative position \Vitnesses: and to maintain the other pin or pins out of A. 'VOGT, the operative position. v V. HAUPT. 

